site.btaSeptember Issue of BTA's LIK Magazine Pays Tribute to Two Legendary Bulgarian Actors: Georgi Kaloyanchev and Georgi Partsalev

In September, LIK - the literature and culture magazine of the Bulgarian News Agency (BTA) - dedicated an issue to mark the 100th anniversaries of two iconic Bulgarian actors: Georgi Partsalev and Georgi Kaloyanchev. Titled "The Kings of Laughter," the issue highlights their legendary status in Bulgarian theatre and cinema.

It will be presented on September 20 at the Varna Festival and Congress Centre as part of the Golden Rose Film Festival program. The event will take place simultaneously via video link at 5:00 PM with BTA's national press clubs in Bulgaria and abroad.

"This issue is dedicated to our legendary comedy actors Georgi Kaloyanchev and Georgi Partsalev, both born 100 years ago. We've called them the kings of laughter—not the most original phrase, perhaps, but one that fully reflects the cult status they enjoy, and it's hardly even a metaphor," writes Georgi Lozanov, Editor-in-Chief of LIK, in the issue’s introduction. "The power they held during the socialist era was comparable to that of Todor Zhivkov—the ‘red tsar of Bulgaria’—but in reverse. He ruled through fear; they ruled through laughter,” he adds. According to him, while everyone fears power, power fears laughter, because in a single moment, laughter can free you from its grip and make you feel truly free."

Journalist Pencho Kovachev explores the actors' parallel careers, starting with their first joint performance in 1957 in The Bathhouse at the Satire Theatre. Though close collaborators, artistic rivalry was inevitable.

The issue revisits key interviews: in 1995, Kaloyanchev shared that “making people laugh is harder than making them cry,” while Partsalev, in a 1989 interview, reflected that to be a good actor, one must also be a good person.

The magazine features a timeline of archival materials from BTA, tracing their careers and legacy, along with rare photos from the agency’s collection.

Film director Ivan Nichev recalls directing Kaloyanchev in Bay Ganyo Goes to Europe (1991), noting the actor’s dramatic depth. Director Zdravko Mitkov remembers Partsalev’s final stage role and praises his intelligence and humility.

In line with its cultural mission, BTA distributes free copies of the magazine to libraries, institutions, and makes it available online.